Meltdown Ophilion - Book One

40_DETENTION

Greshon and Merion, the two chief members of the Kypro Council of Twenty, strode down the plush, wide hallway on the top floor of the Kypro Central Control Tower. At four hundred seventy-seven floors, it was the second tallest building in their com-zone, outdone only by the Kypro Monitoring Center with its mammoth antenna, visible to the south. They talked in hushed tones as they rounded a corner and entered the inner meeting room. The eighteen other rulers of Kypro sat waiting for them around the large, dark red, highly polished, stone table. Their chairs were carved out of the same translucent stone. A kralig-light under the table enhanced the beauty of the rare mineral.

"Good morning," Greshon said in his confident commanding voice.

The other rulers acknowledged him with greetings of their own.

"Do we have the calculations for the mineral deposits in the north?"

"Yes, we do," one of the rulers said with a grin, "And they are better than expected." He activated a memory chip and a hologram came to life in the center of the table.

Greshon and Merion exchanged glances and smiled, "good work," Merion said, "with these amounts I don't see what more we'll need – at least not for the next five hundred cenro." They all laughed quietly, appreciating the prospect of power.

"And now," Greshon said, "the test projections."

Another of the rulers activated the chip he carried and the hologram switched to an image of Quarinor's south pole. "Our people have more of the bugs worked out and we believe we'll meet the deadline," he affirmed. "If the tests go as projected, this is what we can expect to see." He pressed a button on the panel in front of him and the hologram played a recorded image of a computer generated projection.

They all watched in fascination as two groups of missiles neared their neighboring settled world and struck the shield at both of the poles. The invisible barrier began to glow orange, then red. Next a blue wave swept over the entire stratosphere as the shield dissolved. They were memorized by the vision before them. The ruler who was in charge of the explosives research gave a very satisfied smile.

"Rulers of Kypro," Greshon said, with emotion, "this!" he pointed to the hologram, "is what will guarantee us the premier governing positions in the Ophilion Order." He Looked around at the other rulers. "This," he stood slowly, "is something that no other com-zone has been able to do: find a way past the Quarinor defenses."

He looked meaningfully at the eager faces around the table, "I have the promise of the Baccaran that we will be the prime com-zone on Ophilion before all of this is over. Yes," he nodded resolutely, "yes, my friends, you will all share this power; and we have them to thank for it." He studied their expressions.

"This is our time. We will make the dream of our predecessors a reality and unite our worlds. Quarinor will join us, and with our combined resources and technology we will do things unimagined before this time." The prime ruler breathed deeply, reveling in the sensation of energy coursing through his veins while visions of greatness flowed through his mind.

"The Baccaran wish for me to convey to you their gratitude. They hope you have been enjoying the 'fruits of your labors,' as they like to put it." The rulers affirmed with nods and devious smiles. "There will come a new era on Ophilion – our era. We will rise to a position that was previously impossible." Greshon paused to breathe deeply. "And now, my friends, rulers of Kypro, let us continue. Let us push our plan forward to completion."

His charismatic rallying speech over they continued their mission: shaping the future of the two settled worlds in their star system to suit their, and the Baccaran's, designs.